Shelf insert, cabinet frame with door

ABSTRACT

A shelf insert, cabinet frame with door built to fit onto existing tobacco shelves in order to hide tobacco product from public view in accordance with tobacco legislation. The present invention consists of a plurality of rails and sheet metal panels that support various configurations of doors either hinged or sliding as well as a slide out drawers.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is related to and claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119(e) of priority from Canada application No. 2,517,797 filed Aug. 4 2005, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to method of covering tobacco product from public view in compliance with tobacco legislation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The tobacco industry is being legislated to remove or cover tobacco product on display from the public. In order to accommodate the tobacco legislation in the past, retailers have removed tobacco product from existing displays and hide the tobacco inventory in drawers until requested by tobacco purchasers. Retailers have also tried to cover the tobacco product on display with a shower curtains type apparatus that hangs from a rod mounted to the ceiling above or attached to the front of the display. Other retailers have had large custom made doors built specifically for their sites that are mounted to the ceiling and/or floor. These past attempts to cover the tobacco product from view require extensive trade labour, site-specific measurements and installation. One embodiment of the present invention is that it sits onto there existing tobacco shelves and utilizes the current tobacco shelving system in order to simplify installation. Instead of custom make door solution to fit each retailers site situation, the present invention is mass manufacture to fit current specification of tobacco shelving in existence today. A retailer would only be required to clear their current inventory on the shelves and insert the shelf insert cabinet frame with doors onto those shelves in their current set up position. This is considerably less time consuming and less costly to implement then past solutions.

One prior arts filing named “Cabinet with Sliding Doors” invented by Jay G Fenwick Patent # CA 901058 Issued May 23 1972, the invention calls for shelves to be provided and adapters(tracks) for holding and guiding sliding type doors fitted to the front edge portion of the shelves Although this prior art uses standardized upright or post in existence, it is vary different then the present invention in that new shelves are required to be installed by hooks or shelf brackets and that adapters are required to be installed to the front edge of these new shelves. The present invention utilizes existing tobacco shelving and does not require hardware installation, additional brackets or hooks The prior art aims to have cabinets built and modified on site to fit the site specific situations The present invention is pre-manufactured to fit specification of existing shelves and does not require modification on site. This prior art was not designed specifically to fit existing tobacco shelving and would not be able to fit into the tobacco shelving system in use today

Another embodiment of the present invention is that it comes closer then any other past solutions in replicating the traditional look of the tobacco display. The present invention will have a plurality of ticket channels or tracks on the fronts of doors in order for Tobacco companies to slide their backer panels where permitted. Alternatively, the present invention can be painted in a colour that is similar to the colours currently used today bay tobacco companies. The only change to the display that that the public will notice is the doors that block the view of product when closed. Most solutions in the past change the appearance of the tobacco display so significantly so as to render the display of no marketing value to tobacco manufactures. Subsequently, tobacco manufactures will stop paying for this display area causing retailers to lose a significant revenue stream. Therefore, there is a demand for a fixture that is cost effective, easy to implement and at the same time able to replicate the look of the traditional tobacco display.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is therefore a need in the retail industry for a cost effective method of covering up the view of tobacco product while still maintaining access to product

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the shelf insert with hinged door

FIG. 2 illustrates the shelf insert with addition rails to form cabinet frame with door

FIG. 3 illustrates the front slope design of the cabinet frame with hinged door

FIG. 4 shows a shelf insert with pull down door inserted onto tobacco shelving

FIG. 5 shows a shelf insert cabinet frame with door inserted onto tobacco shelving

FIG. 6 shows the assembled shelf insert, cabinet frame

FIG. 7 shows the ticket channels or tracks formed into the sheet metal construction

FIG. 8 shows the placement of magnets for door latching

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is intended to provide retailers with a cost effect solution for covering tobacco product from the view of public as required by new and impending tobacco legislation

Shelf Insert with Hinged Door

A preferred embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in the line drawing of FIG. 1 and in photograph FIG. 4, comprises of a Shelf Insert (#1) comprised of a plurality of rails, support pieces and/or sheet metal panel that that fit inside and inserts onto an existing tobacco manufactures shelf. A Door (2) is attached to the shelf insert by a hinge (#3). A plurality of magnets attached to the front rail of the tobacco shelf positioned above and/or the door handle (#4) allow the hinged pull down door to stay closed The doors hides tobacco product from public view when closed, in accordance with tobacco legislation

Another embodiment of the present invention is that it utilizes the existing tobacco shelving system, including wall mount tracks and brackets as well as shelves. This embodiment of the present invention eliminates the need for any additional hooks or brackets for mounting, making installation easy and inexpensive. Illustrated in FIG. 5.

Shelf Insert, Cabinet Frame with Various Configurations of Doors

Another embodiment of the present invention that the shelf insert (#1) further comprises of a plurality of additional rails and support pieces to form a cabinet frame (#5) as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6. The cabinet frame attached to the shelf insert is comprised of:

-   -   1) Upper and Lower cross sectional pieces (#6) connected         together by two smaller vertical support pieces (#7) and form         the front and back panels.     -   2) The front and back panel are connected by a cross sectional         support piece at the top (#8) and a smaller cross sectional         support piece of approximately 7.125″ Long at the bottom (#9) to         form the sides of the cabinet frame. Current tobacco shelves sit         on a 5% angle and therefore require the larger top and smaller         bottom cross sectional support piece to create a 5% forward         slope angle to the front of the cabinet. The fronts of the         cabinet frame and doors are flush with the fronts of the shelves         above. FIG. 3 illustrates the front forward slope on a Pop         hinged door in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 illustrates the front forward         slope on a pull down hinged door     -   3) The sides of the frame can be covered with full sheet metal         panels(#10) to block tobacco product from public view.

The shelf insert, cabinet frame provides a solid support mechanism for additional variations of doors including a two sliding doors a, a pull out drawer as well as Pull down and Pop up hinged doors.

Another embodiment of the present invention is that the shelf insert (#1) with or without cabinet frame(#5)and attached door (#2) is built to fit into the various widths and depth of tobacco manufactures shelves utilized. Approximate sizes therefore include but not limited to

-   -   A shelf insert approximately 23.80″ wide by 7.125″ deep to fit         what is known as a 2 ft tobacco manufactures shelf     -   A shelf insert approximately 35.8″ wide 7.125″ deep to fit what         is known as a 3 ft tobacco manufactures shelf.     -   A shelf insert approximately 47.80″ wide 7.125″ deep to fit what         is known as a 4 ft tobacco manufactures shelf     -   A shelf insert approximately 59.80″ wide 7.125″ deep to fit what         is known as a 5 ft tobacco manufactures shelf.

Another embodiment of the present invention is that the hinged doors (#2) with or without cabinet frame (#5) and attached shelf insert (#1) is built in a plurality of heights dimensions replicating the shelf spacing increments attainable by the tobacco manufactures shelving systems. The height spacing of shelves commonly attained are to display single stacked product, doubled stacked product and triple stacked. Door and cabinet frame heights therefore would include but not limited to:

-   -   A door and a cabinet frame height to accommodate a single         stacked spacing of tobacco product approximately 6.03″ high     -   A door and a cabinet frame height to accommodate a double         stacked spacing of tobacco product approx 8.03″ high     -   A door and a cabinet frame height to accommodate a triple         stacked spacing approximately 12.03″ high         Latching of Hinged Doors

Another embodiment of the present invention is that hinged doors latch onto the top rail of the tobacco shelf positioned above or the top rail of the cabinet frame using a plurality of magnets on the door handle (#14) and/or the front rail of the tobacco shelf or the top rail of cabinet frame (#13) FIG. 8 illustrates a plurality of magnets on the front rail of the cabinet frame which would latch onto the pull down sheet metal hinged door panel when closed.

The present invention is generally produced out of sheet metal However, the present invention can be produced to virtually the same specification in plastic, corrugate, glass wood or wood like material although if the shelf insert and doors where not manufactured out of metal. However, the functionality of the magnetic latching would be eliminated if built in a material other then metal and would therefore require another method of latching such as Velcro.

Ticket Channels or Tracks on Doors

Another embodiment of the present invention is that the doors have a plurality of ticket channels or tracks formed into the front face of the sheet metal construction (#11) and (#12) illustrated in FIG. 7. The ticket channels or tracks allow printed marketing material to be inserted interchangeably. Ticket channels or tracks can also be attached separately onto doors (#15) of FIG. 8 shows a ticket channel or track attached to the inside of the door where more marketing material can be insert and visible when opened. 

1) A door attached to a shelf insert that utilizes the shelves and shelving system used by tobacco manufactures and retailers. 2) The combination defined in claim #1 wherein a shelf insert is inserted onto an existing shelf utilized by tobacco manufactures and retailers. 3) The combination defined in claim #2 wherein a shelf insert and an attached hinged door is built in a plurality of widths to fit onto and insert into various shelf sizes utilized by tobacco manufactures and retailer. 4) The combination defined in claim #3 wherein a hinged door attached to a shelf insert is built to a plurality of height dimensions to replicate the shelf spacing increments attainable by the tobacco manufactures and retailers shelving systems. 5) The combination defined in claim #4, wherein a shelf insert with door is comprised of a plurality of rails and panels consisting of A combination of rails or a sheet metal panel to form the shelf insert that fits onto the tobacco shelf The Shelf Insert is attached to a hinged Pull down door in order to cover tobacco product from public view when closed Or the Shelf Insert is attached to a hinged Pop up door in order to cover tobacco product from public view when closed 6) The combination defined in claim #5 wherein a shelf insert and attached hinged door is built to a plurality of widths and depths to sit in front of various shelf sizes utilized by tobacco manufactures including: a hinged door attached to a shelf inserts approximately 23.8″ wide by 7.125″ deep to fit what is known as a 2 ft tobacco shelf a hinged door attached to a shelf insert approximately 35.8″ wide by 7.125″ deep to fit what is known as a 3 ft tobacco shelf a hinged door attached to a shelf insert approximately 47.80″ wide by 7.125″ deep to fit what is known as a 4 ft tobacco shelf a hinged door attached to a shelf insert approximately 59.80″ wide by 7.125″ deep to fit what is know as a 5 ft tobacco shelf. 7) The combination defined in claim #6 wherein a Door attached to a Shelf Insert is built in a plurality of height dimensions that replicate the shelf spacing increments attainable by the tobacco manufactures shelving systems in existence, including: a door replicating a single product height of approximately 6.03″ high a door replicating a double stacked product height of approximately 8.03″ high a door replicating a triple stacked product height of approximately 12.03″ high 8) The combination defined in claim # 4 wherein a Shelf Insert further combines with a plurality of rails and sheet metal panels consisting of: Upper and lower cross-sectional pieces connected together by two smaller vertical support pieces to form a front and back panel of a cabinet frame. The front and back panel are connected by a cross sectional support piece at the top and a smaller cross sectional support piece at the bottom to form the sides of the cabinet frame. The larger top and smaller bottom cross sectional support piece to create a 5% forward slope angle to the front of the cabinet frame so that the fronts of doors are flush. The sides of the frames can be rails, support piece or panels that cover the product from view The frame forms a solid support for various configurations of doors with handles, including a hinged Pop up door. A hinged Pull down door. A two-piece sliding door. A slide out drawer: 9) Various configurations of hinged doors using a plurality of magnets to latch open or closed as follows: a hinged pull down door with handle, which latches onto when closed. with a plurality of magnets to the bottom front of the metal tobacco shelf above. a hinged Pop up door with handle, which latches on with a plurality of magnets to the front of the metal tobacco shelf or door above to stay opened 10) A Pop up hinged doors attached to a shelf insert that that latches onto the front of the self or cabinet frame positioned above with a plurality of velcro pieces on the door handle and/or top front rail of shelf above in order to keep door closed 11) Various configuration of doors used to hide tobacco product from view having a plurality of ticket channels or tracks formed in the front face construction of the sheet metal door, allowing marketing material to be inserted on the door interchangeably 12) Various configurations of doors used to hide tobacco product from view having a plurality of ticket channels or tracks are attached to the front face of doors, allowing marketing material to be inserted interchangeably 13) The present invention including rails, support panels, doors drawers, hinges, ticket channels and tracks are generally produced out of sheet metal or other metal material. 14) The present invention including rails, support panels, doors, drawers, hinges, ticket channels and tracks can be produced to virtually the same specification in plastic, corrugate, glass wood or wood like material. 